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Tethar
The Kingdom of Tethar is a state in southern Ovaicaea that has existed as an autonomous kingdom for over a thousand years, and has controlled territory as far west as Mocryae marshlands and as far east as Lake Kaiser, and from the Tethar Mountains in the north to the Sound of Gestrin on its southern coast. It has fought wars with its neighbors at many points in its history, especially with Mocryae, Aendrilad, Gestrin, Tolossia, and Tudesco. Since the Gestrin War ended in 927, the rump state of Tethar has become a member state of the New Empire. Tethar has a long history as a highly tribal matriarchal state, with the Queen of Tethar elected by a council of the tribal mothers. At its height, Tethar's royal army was well-organized and drilled to constant readiness, and was adept in its use of siege weapons and war magic, which enabled it to achieve dominance until the rise of Gestrin in the region. Constant warring whittled its strength down, and the twenty-year war in the early 10th century with Gestrin completely devastated Tethar's military. Today, Tethar's army is a fraction of its former size and largely plays a defensive role. In recent events, the Queen of Tethar has unilaterally announced the secession of Tethar from the empire, and has publicly invited Gestrin to occupy Tethar in order to stabilize the country and keep the queen's peace. Name The Tethari language does not differentiate gender in certain words that are gendered in more Northern common languages. The Tethari word for "king" and "queen" is the same, and consequently the name for "kingdom" and "queendom" is the same. The state's name in the native tongue is al-Mamlakah al-Tethar, which can be rendered as Domain of Tethar, Sovereignty of Tethar, Queendom of Tethar, or Kingdom of Tethar. This latter translation is widely used among the common languages in the North, in part due to the patriarchal norms of the northern regions and due to some northern dialects necessarily gendering abstract nouns. As such, Tethar's common name in the north fails to capture the reality that Tethar has been a matriarchal, tribal monarchy. History Origins War and imperial estate Recent developments While Tethar had been accepted as a member state of the Empire in 927, it has been largely neglected and left to its own ways. This policy has been met with mixed results. For some, such as Tethar's ruling class, the degree of autonomy they have received has been beneficial. But for others, the imperial neglect has led to destabilization and devastation. When the war ended, the imperial legions were demobilized and the Tethar frontier became a demilitarized zone. The empire left only one cavalry regiment in the frontier as a quick-reaction force and scout unit, relying instead on local forces for defense and peacekeeping. Postwar Tethar's economy was devastated by the loss of most of its territory and population, and the rump state had to contend with a refugee crisis and a public health crisis from a disease pandemic. The remaining population experienced widespread poverty, famine, unemployment, and had to deal with skyrocketing costs of living. These issues have festered in Tethar over the previous century, leading to frequent civil unrest and bread riots in rural towns, and banditry in the frontier. Capture to be sold into the southern slave trade is a constant threat to daily life. The Empire has thus far declined to dispatch a full legion into the area to provide security, and instead maintains its cavalry outposts for quick reaction to military threats. With dissatisfaction over the Empire's treatment mounting over the years, Queen Arizma III and her council of tribal elders unilaterally decreed on 18 Harvestide 1020 that Tethar would separate from the Empire. She announced that, to facilitate the peaceful resumption of Tethari independence, she had invited Gestrin to deploy its soldiers to occupy the capital and the countryside, and to provide advisers for training and equipping the Tethari royal guard. She demanded that the Empire recall all imperial troops stationed in Tethar, or risk a catastrophe that could not be avoided. Society Tethari society is highly fragmented. The royal government has little authority over the sparsely populated countryside, and relies on local elites and tribal leaders to maintain peace and order. However, these tribes frequently contend against each other and hold power in opposition to the central state. Before the Gastrinian conquest, there were over thirty tribes that participated in a wider Tethari society. The pre-conquest era saw a greater variety of tribal economies and specializations, and Tethar's economy was built on extensive trade and agriculture. The tribes from the far northwest that remain are predominantly pastoralists and warriors. Modern Tethari society is divided into nine tribes, dwelling in distinct tribal homelands or regions. Each tribe is named after a totem animal, a symbol of the tribe's values and self-concept. They are as follows: * Bear Tribe: Living in the rocky uplands, the Bear folk value physical strength and bravado, as well as maternal warmth and protectiveness. They are currently led by the fearless and brawny Dhiba. * Bull Tribe: These people of the vast plains live a nomadic life much like the Horse folk, but emphasize overwhelming strength, ferocity, and bravery. Their leader is the young and tempestuous Baqara. * Cobra Tribe: A folk of the lowlands, this tribe's culture emphasizes sneakiness and subterfuge, prizing swift, decisive, and bold action. They are led by the cold, decisive Jamila. * Crocodile Tribe: Dwelling in the western marshlands, the Crocodile tribe is known to be patient and rational, valuing good sense and staying calm in the face of danger. Their leader Tamsin, renowned for her reason and diplomacy. * Eagle Tribe: As a mount-dwelling tribe, the Eagle folk prize wisdom, solitude, and insight. The Eagle tribe has a reputation for producing visionary shamans, and many of its tribal priests live monastic lifestyles. They are led by is Fairuza, a prophetess and magician of great renown. * Horse Tribe: The Horse tribe dwells in the vast prairie south of the mountains, and value gracefulness and tradition. They constitute the largest and wealthiest tribe. They are ruled by Ghaliya, slow to act and content to watch from the sidelines * Leopard Tribe: The river valley in the western frontier of the kingdom is host to the Leopard tribe. These people value education and athletics, and have produced some of the most renowned Tethari poets. Their tribal mother is Fadia, an intense and passionate personality who is quick to anger. * Rhino Tribe: These desert-dwelling folk are sturdy, forthright, and honest, and value physical power and earnestness. They are ruled by the iron-fisted Qawi. * Wolf Tribe: The southern lowlands are home to the Wolf folk, whose virtues are close teamwork, cooperation, and cunning. Tisam, quick on her feet and a proud warrior, is their leader. Each tribe is a matriarchal monarchy, with extended family units or clans as the basic means of social organization. Livestock and other property are inherited matrilineally by the eldest daughter of a family, though it is customary for favored possessions to be buried with a person when they die. It is not uncommon for children of several clans to be raised communally in tribal villages. Outside of these commonalities to Tethari culture, the tribes are all culturally distinct, with their own traditions, values, and way of life. Many are nomadic, but some are more settled. As a result, Tethari society is heavily pastoralist, herding sheep, goats, cattle, and horses across open plains, mountain pastures, and deep lowlands depending on the time of year. The most valuable farmland was annexed by Gestrin in 927, and the remaining part of Tethar is not very arable. The prairie soil is clay-like and unsuited to grain production, the deserts are barren and rocky, and the river valley is dominated by fetid swamps and marshes. Those who have settled into an agrarian lifestyle mostly farm rice and fruits in wetlands along the western rivers. This fragmentation between these conflicting tribes has led to Tethar's political destabilization and constant economic crisis. Government The Tethari government is divided between the realm's elective monarchy, and the regional tribal monarchies. Prior to the annexation of most of Old Tethar by Gestrin in the early 10th century, Tethari land was divided among thirty tribes. After the loss of the southern countryside and coast, this number was reduced to nine. Each tribe is a matriarchy led by a Tribal Mother. The tribal leadership is hereditary, passed down to the eldest living daughter of the Tribal Mother. The tribes govern traditional regions, which in the ancient past were separate kingdoms. During Tethar's period as an independent state, the Tribal Mothers held certain rights over their regions, such as power over life and death and the right to mint coins. Since the admittance of Tethar as an Imperial state, however, these tribal rights have been revoked or diminished as the Mothers do not have immediacy to the emperor. The tribal rulers are all participants in the Council of Mothers, which acts as a deliberative body but also as a privy council for the reigning Queen. They make laws, and advise the Queen on matters of state and governance. The council also elects the Queen, in theory based on their martial prowess and charisma. However, most of the time a reigning queen selects their heir. The country as a whole is ruled by the Queen Regnant, who acts as chief executive, judge, and marshal of the royal army. The Queen has the sole right to call up the tribal regiments to serve in times of war, though war is declared by the Council as a whole. In the context of the Empire, the Queen holds imperial immediacy and has sovereign privileges over her realm. Current government As of the time of this writing, the Tethari royal government is led by Queen Arizma III. She is one of Tethar's youngest queens, but served as the previous Queen's chamberlain and magical adviser. Arizma was elected queen in 1014. Arizma is married to Tzipporah, a prominent cavalry officer in the royal army. As Queen Consort, Tzipporah has been granted positions of considerable prestige, and has been fast-tracked as head of the royal guard. The queens have yet to produce or adopt an expected heir.